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Jhené Aiko

The R&B singer Jhené Aiko (March 16, 1988) rose to prominence as a teenager when she sang and made video appearances with the band B2K. She was subsequently signed to Sony Music as a solo artist when she was only 15-years-old. Aiko recorded what was intended to be her debut album for Sony titled My Name Is Jhené but as the release date loomed, Aiko had second thoughts about her musical career and asked to be released from her contract so that she could continue with her education. The label acquiesced to her wishes and the album was never released. In 2011, Aiko decided to restart her stalled career and released a mixtape which led to her signing a deal with ARTium records. After a succession of singles, she released her debut album Souled Out (2014). The album debuted at Number 1 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and peaked at Number 3 on the Billboard 200. Following the success of the first album, Aiko released a collaboration with American rapper and then-boyfriend Big Sean, with whom she performed under the name Twenty88 prior to releasing her second solo album Trip in 2017, which peaked at Number 5 on the Billboard 200. Aiko was a supporting act for Lana Del Rey and Beyoncé & Jay-Z in 2018 and has also supported artists such as J. Cole, Drake, The Weeknd, Snoop Dogg, and Wiz Khalifa over the years. Preceded by the 2019 single “Triggered (Freestyle),” her third studio album Chilombo saw the light in 2020 and featured guest spots by Nas, Ty Dolla $ign, and Future. Recorded entirely in Hawaii and heavily informed by the local culture, the album proved to be a commercial success after hitting the top of the R&B charts in the US.